A win has become a rare occurrence at the Crown Ground recently so no wonder the Stanley Ultras celebrated Tuesday’s victory like it was a cup final.

The fans, decked out in bright yellow jackets – a clear reference to the ‘Bellgate’ steward incident at Saturday’s Crewe game – stayed singing at the end after finally seeing their side win their first home clash since March 16 and end a nine-game winless run with a Billy Kee goal.

They were conga-ing and shouting and the home fans were bolstered by Grimsby supporters who became Reds for a day – needing Stanley to win to keep alive their own survival hopes.

And the Reds did it – although it did lead to Barnet boss Ian Hendon’s dismissal the following day with the Bees’ huge relegation battle with the Mariners taking place tomorrow.

Stanley have no such worries as, up until a month ago, they were looking the other way – up towards the play-offs – but they still should finish in their highest ever place in League Two. They are 13th and their highest is 16th.

And it must have restored the manager’s faith in some of the players as he ponders contracts for the new season.

At the moment the pitch is never going to allow football pleasing to the eye but both sides grafted and worked while the Reds did have that bit of quality which meant they earned the win.

"The fans have been brilliant all season and they deserved the win but we asked the lads for an extra big effort and they gave it," said Coleman. "The players were desperate to win and the chances we created merited the victory.

"It was bitter-sweet because Ian Hendon is a good man and has been unlucky and I do feel for Barnet as we know how tough it is to try and get over that line to safety."

The Reds have known that only too well in the last three seasons but their own safety was secured early on after a superb run around Christmas.

However Coleman admitted he is still looking back with regret at this season as the one that got away after hovering close to the top seven.

"We are up to 13th and I think that’s nearer to where we should be in the league," said Coleman.

"But we have let ourselves down in the last nine games as a few more points and we would have been fighting for the play-offs."

Meeting Barnet earlier in one of their four postponed matches might have helped to keep that top seven dream alive but instead this result was just a morale boost going into the final two games of the season.

Struggling Barnet did conjure little up front to test Ian Dunbavin, who had had his two-game ban for a red card rescinded earlier in the day.

And Stanley had by far the better chances. Striker Bobby Grant came close with a free kick and how Sean McConville did not score the opener was a wonder.

Winger Chris Turner sent Michael Symes racing through and he squared the ball into the danger area. There was McConville at the far post and he was turning to celebrate as veteran Gary Breen stuck out a leg and hooked the ball off the line.

Stanley did continue to threaten without seriously testing Jake Cole and it wasn’t until the introduction of Kee that they made the difference. The Leicester loan man has rarely scored goals that haven’t meant something this season.

In fact the only one of his seven that ended up counting for next to nothing was his goal against Grimsby as Stanley lost. Other than that, the teenager’s goals have come in games where Stanley have got at least a point, and this was another influential one.

Kee had only been on the pitch six minutes when he played a neat one-two with Symes, the latter providing the killer pass and Kee tucking home the winner.

Symes could have made it safe at the end when he broke through but he hit the post as Kee’s was enough to send the Accrington – and Grimsby – fans into raptures.